Government students witness state budget debate Tuesday

October 05, 2009

Four North Central Michigan College students witnessed Michigan's key power brokers wrangle Tuesday over the state's projected $2.8 billion shortfall to approve a balanced state budget before Thursday's deadline that could force a government shutdown.

The students talked with Governor Jennifer Granholm, State Senator Jason Allen (R-Traverse City) and State Rep. Gary McDowell (D-Rudyard), who took time from behind closed door negotiations to see the college's Citizen Politics at a Local Level government students.

The students, including Emily and Rochelle McDowell, actually met their father on the House Floor, after he had introduced the class to the Michigan House - something they say had never happened since their father first became the area's state representative in 2004. Other students attending were Ryan Gettel of East Jordan and David Specht of Gaylord.

The full House and Senate convened Tuesday to resolve issues bottled up in a handful of six-member committees that include cuts in mental health services, the Department of Human Services, state-tax revenue sharing payments for local police and fire departments and transportation funding.

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The state of Michigan started a new fiscal year at midnight today, Thursday, Oct. 1. The state constitution requires it start the fiscal year with a balanced budget.

"It was surreal," said Gettel, as he returned back to Petoskey after a whirlwind one-day mini-field trip.

"I have never been to Lansing and can't believe we actually got to meet the governor. It's hard to believe we were there."

The class, taught by journalism and political science instructor Ken Winter, departed the college early Tuesday to first meet Traverse City native Megan Brown, who after graduating from Michigan State University, started working in the governor's office.

The 25-year-old deputy press secretary talked about her job and the importance of college internships when starting a career, which helped her land a job in the governor's office. She then surprised the students by asking them to walk across the street to the Capitol Building to meet her boss, Liz Boyd, the governor's press secretary, who invited them into the governor's ceremonial office to meet and talk briefly with Gov. Granholm.

Afterward, the class had lunch with Sen. Jason Allen, who spent one hour talking with them about how to prepare for Michigan's future job market and shared what he sees for Michigan's economic future.

They then met former Petoskey High School graduate Katie Duggan, daughter of North Central Michigan College political professor Dennis Duggan, and Daniel Rock, legislative aides to Rep. McDowell to talk about working for a legislator.

The aides escorted students back to the Capitol to talk with Rep. McDowell, who was in the middle of negotiating the state's community health budget. He explained how the budget processed worked and the economic challenges facing the Michigan legislature and governor. The school aid budget was also approved while the students were there.

"It was a very rare opportunity for community college students to see how the state legislative budget process works firsthand," Winter said about his class trip.

"Even more rare were to meet the key players and have them offer their perspective on the negotiations."

The students were among a few to actually watch Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop sit alone on the floor of the Senate to review budget proposals being considered that day.